Weimar Rearmament
Volume V • Edition II
The Treaty of Versailles also led and promoted a new secret alliance between Germany and Soviet Russia, designed to support German military technological development and funding. To restore a pre-WW1 economy, Article 235 in the Treaty of Versailles stated that Germany, had to pay “in such installments and such manner (whether in gold, commodities, ships, securities or otherwise) as the Reparation Commission may fix, during 1919, 1920 and the first four months of 1921, the equivalent of 20,000,000,000 gold marks.” These economic reparations were designed to cripple Germany and to leave them without the necessary finances to support future militarization. Under the command of General Hans von Seeckt, Germany began to seek a new, unexpected alliance with the Soviets. Previously, Germany had fought brutally against the Russians in WWI. The long and devastating conflict ended with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on March 3, 1918, which forced Russian concessions of significant territory to the Germans. The Treaty of Versailles reversed some of these concessions, but the Russians, at the Paris Peace Conference were virtually shut out, leaving them without Western support against the rise of the Bolshevik led Soviets. This left Germany and the Soviets post-Versailles so vulnerable to Western allies that they were willing to forge new military and economic alliances. At the Treaty of Rapallo in April of 1922, Germany and the Soviet Union formalized their relationship and the two nations renounced all territorial and monetary claims against each other as a result of WWI. Without Western powers knowing, a secret clause was added to the treaty. In the secret clause, the German military would receive November 2020
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After WW1 and the Treaty of Versailles, Germany rose to become one of the most powerful militarized nations in the 20th century. In 1919, the allied nations, because of the Paris Peace Settlements, left Germany economically destroyed with no military force. As a result, Germany entered secret alliances, formed military bases, and revolutionized their military. The Treaty of Versailles, along with its harsh economic reparations and military restrictions, led to an unexpected, secret German-Soviet alliance, influenced the reinvention of the German military tactics and philosophy, and improved Germany’s mechanized forces with the development of the Panzer division. The Paris Peace settlements were negotiated at the Paris Peace conference and signed on June 28, 1919. Happening at the Halls of mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, the Paris Peace settlements brought World War I to an end. The treaty ended the destructive four years of conflict and 16 million deaths from the war. The Paris Peace Settlements aimed to completely economically destroy Germany. In reparation, Germany was required to pay 132,000,000,000 gold marks to pay for the conflict of WW1. The Treaty of Versailles also aimed to destroy Germany’s military. By decreasing German military power, the allied nations hoped that there would be no future conflict. The treaty restricted Germany’s armed military to only 100,000 men. The League of Nations also found it critical that Germany would not be allowed to produce submarines or airplanes. In addition, German military conscription was banned, so only volunteers could become a part of the German military. Overall, the League of Nations aimed at decreasing the chance of future conflict by crippling Germany’s economy and army.
The Podium | Research Papers
Author-William Okurowski ‘22 Section-Research Papers
